Chapter 2 A NEW PACK

Amber's POV

I closed the door behind me, and the excitement building in my gut was a lot like the anticipation for sex. This was my new beginning, a fresh start in a pack that wasn't my own. As an Omega from the Woodland Pack, I knew I would face challenges, but I was determined to prove myself.

Unzipping my luggage, I took out a pink coat and a pair of plastic hand gloves along with a face mask. As I kicked off my shoes and slipped into comfortable flip-flops, I took my jacket and put on the pink coat and gloves. I carefully placed the face mask over my ears, ready to face the world.

With a duster in my hand, I prepared myself for the chore at hand. As I tried to tie up my curly, short hair, a sharp knock sounded at the door before I could reach it.

Daniel poked his head into my room. "Lovely, are you done yet?" he questioned, his brown eyes scanning the room.

"Can't you wait for me to say, 'Come in'?" I complained, my gaze fixed on him.

"Oh, sorry, my bad," he apologized, closing the door and knocking again, annoying as always.

"Come in," I growled, annoyance obvious in my voice.

"I just wanted to tell you that if you are done, come and join us downstairs," Daniel said before slamming the door without waiting for my reply.

***

I finished cleaning my room, though the bathroom had given me quite a bit of stress. I made my way downstairs, watching as my parents assisted each other in the cleaning process, chatting and dusting the couch.

A sigh escaped my lips as I joined them on the couch. I couldn’t hide my fatigue. "Ugh! I'm so tired," I lamented, my hands resting on my back.

"You lazy ass," Daniel mumbled under his breath.

"Don't call my princess that," my father intervened, defending me.

"I am on Daniel’s side, Amber is just being lazy," my mother added, taking sides.

"I'm not lazy; I'm just conserving energy, and besides, I'm starting school tomorrow! Can't you guys give me a break?" I snapped, stepping away from the couch.

"I have to look for another job in this pack, and you are talking about taking a break? Do you think I am a fool? As long as we are in a new pack, we don’t get to take a break unless we are already settled in," my father replied, glaring at me seriously.

"I never wanted to come to a new pack anyway, I should have attended a university back in our pack," I said under my breath. "But no, I can’t, because we have been banished, and why? Because you just had to go and work for the alpha of another pack to sabotage our pack, how could you, Dad?"

"Watch your mouth, young lady. Your father had no option but to work for Alpha Kent. We both know he is one of the most feared Alphas in all the packs, and no one could say no to him. We want the best for you, honey. Every step we take is with your best interest in mind," my mother reassured me, a sincere smile on her beautiful face.

The anger that I once felt was gone, now replaced with guilt. "I’m sorry, Dad, no excuse can justify the way I just spoke to you. It was disrespectful, and I apologize. You guys are the best parents." I beamed and pulled my father and mother into a hug.

"We love you too, Pumpkin," my father replied, wrapping his large hands around both of us until we were both flushed against his chest.

"All this family drama is starting to make me feel nauseous," Daniel scoffed, dusting a Mona Lisa painting on the wall.

"It looks like the owner of this house is an art lover," I commented, studying the artistic painting, along with another one that was beside it.

"I think so too, just look at the décor," my father observed.

After hours of cleaning and chatting, it was already evening, and we all settled around the dining table, eating and engaging in a casual conversation, and Daniel couldn’t help but bring up the topic of my new school.

"Uh, I heard the university is full of high-class wolves from all over the world," he stated, sipping on his orange juice.

My grip tightened on my dress as his words echoed in my ears and unease leaked into my bloodstream. Sensing my unease, my mother discreetly held my hand under the table, offering support.

"Don't worry, honey. Everything will be fine. No need to be nervous. Daniel is just babbling nonsense," she reassured me with a friendly smile.

"But Mom, it's the truth," Daniel responded, earning a foot stomp from Mom.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, his face screwed up in pain.

"Son, stop instilling fear in your sister's mind. You should be encouraging her. This is her first time attending a college outside our pack," my father reprimanded with a deep voice.

"I know, Dad, but Omegas like us have a hard time in this society, and I heard the college is built up of ranks, and only wolves with rich parents are allowed to attend it. Lovely is just lucky to get a scholarship there now that they are trying to accept ordinary students. They despise low-class wolves like us, and I can't stand their judgment and prejudice." Daniel clenched his fists into tight balls, anger apparent in his voice.

"Enough with the negativity. They are just werewolves like us and think they will like my little girl," Mom commented and continued eating her vegetables.

"Daniel is right, even if you don’t want to admit it. They may be werewolves like us, but they treat us Omegas as inferior. They don't see us as equals because of our rank. It's infuriating," my father commented, his dark eyes burning with fury.

"With all the things I have heard about their treatment of Omegas, I don't think I will like them," I admitted, feeling a bit fuzzy.